Cooperative Competitiveness Index: a tool to assess the competitiveness of agro-industrial cooperatives

Purpose/objective: This paper is a theoretical-methodological effort to propose and describe a new tool for measuring the competitiveness of agro-industrial cooperatives. Design/methodology/approach: A three-stage procedure was developed: the first step consisted of carrying out a diagnosis of agro-industrial cooperatives; in the second stage, 38 competitiveness sub-factors were identified, and these were grouped, according to common characteristics, under five drivers (cooperative management and governance, production, commercialisation, transaction costs and cooperating farmers); and third, qualitative criteria and tools were presented for the allocation of relative weights and scores, enabling the calculation, on a scale between 0 and 10, of the Cooperative Competitiveness Index (CCI). Findings: It is possible to mention at least four highlights provided by this study: (1) identification of 38 competitiveness sub-factors for agro-industrial cooperatives; (2) calculation, on a scale between 0 and 10, of the Cooperative Competitiveness Index, using five competitiveness drivers, with their respective relative weights and scores; (3) CCI can be a management tool for agro-industrial cooperatives; and (4) CCI is suitable for the empirical application, with easy adjustments and improvements. Research limitations/implications: the lack of realisation of the empirical test and calibration of the proposed model and the relative arbitrariness in determining the five drivers of competitiveness. Originality/value: There is an expectation that the application of the tool presented here can contribute to identifying improvement points, which allow the strategic realignment of the cooperative ventures, improving their efficiency and, consequently, their competitiveness.